Culture Shock: Things Fall Apart Characterization in 144 characters or less
It's only a lofty idea at this point, but I have high hopes of adapting this module for my teaching of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart with my English 10 course. This is our first year using this novel, so the adventure has just begun!
I'm not entirely sure what it will look like, but the amorphous blob slowly forming in my head suggests that while there won't be Tweeting, per se (school filters won't allow that), there will be some kind of reflection in 144 characters or less. It may be a fake Facebook page (other teachers in my school have used something that apparently can get past the filters) or a Moodle forum (which isn't pretty, but might get the job done) or even a blog (my students started one last semester but we have a l.o.n.g. way to go with this).
For their "Tweets", I'm considering either having students write from the perspective of one of the characters or having them report on the events in the novel from the eyes of a newsbroadcaster. We've already introduced characterization, so this would be a nice follow up, but I also like the idea of having to approach the text from an outsider's perspective because the culture of Things Fall Apart is so completely opposite of their norm.
In addition to their faux Tweets, I'd like to culminate with a blog post of some sort, likely persuasive in nature so that it will lead in naturally to their Research Projects that follow this unit of study. However, I'm not sure how to take it from Tweets to Text. Any ideas are welcome!
We have approximately 7 weeks to complete this module, but that has to include the reading of the novel itself as well as supplemental pieces (both fiction and informational), the tweeting, the blogging, teaching and reteaching of essential writing skills, and practice at ECA strategies such as genre and theme, story structure and elements, making reading connections, and style and language. It's a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, to be sure.
But I am ready for the challenge (and suggestions).
Comments
Erin Wilkey Oh
on Jan 20 2012
at 11:48
Still looking for ideas?
Hi Lisa!
It looks like you are planning an engaging "Things Fall Apart" unit. I love the idea of micro-blogging/tweeting from the different characters' perspectives. Will your students be "tweeting" in the classroom, or is this to be done from home? Or both? I liked using Wall Wisher (http://www.wallwisher.com/) for real time commenting in short form. You create a digital post-it board, and students post their digital stickies to it. My students had laptops in class, and I would project the Wall Wisher. We watched in real time as they made their comments.
I have heard that Edmodo (http://www.edmodo.com/) is a great tool that provides a social media platform for classrooms/schools. I believe it's free and has twitter-like capabilities. I think it would also provide a platform for longer blog posts if you want to do that as well. I never used it in the classroom though, so you might ask around.
Good luck with the unit! I hope you will share how it goes at Digital Is!
Erin
Evan Williams
on Jan 25 2012
at 07:45
Emodo...
I'm an avid Edmodo user and wish I could use it more in class. If you don't want to deal with Twitter accounts and the public-ness of it, Edmodo is great. It has the same ability for micro-blogging, the teacher can create a certain stream to be public (post a link to a webpage, there isn't a widget like Twitter) or you can keep all the posts just for your class.
The best part is the teacher has total control. You can delete comments if you would need to. You can 'tag' posts. Upload pictures, video, homework, PDF's, etc.
And, you give the students the passcode to join your class (and parents, too, if you would want them to join the discussion).
I find it to be wonderful and they add to it constantly. It's not the same thing it was three years ago when I stumbled up on it. It's so much more.